the Burlington Blurb: Day 5- Excuse me, you have some dirt on your nose.

This time of year makes my palms itch. My feet long to be bare. And I have become obsessed with developing a garden. The first thing I long to do in the morning is check how the plants in my yard grew and changed over night. Perhaps one day I will claim a green thumb of my own. But for now, I am watching, trying, learning and enjoying getting dirt under my fingernails. I am descended from great earth movers and planters- Larry and Sandra Haynes. In fact, they have supplied me with many plants from Georgia, divided and ready to live in North Carolina. These irises are from one of their friend's yard. I planted them 3 years ago, and they have just bloomed for the first time. I can't help but think that these lavender beauties are a timely and gorgeous homage to the late Prince Nelson Rogers.

The lacy fern beauties below were a gift from my friend Mary Virginia's yard.

This strawberry plant was also a gift. Can you spot the little happy berry?

I planted this kale too late last fall. It survived the winter, but is only now getting the chance to grow and thrive. Kale should be on the summer menu at our house.

She ain't pretty, but after transplanting this butterfly bush to a much sunnier spot, I pruned it severely. It looked like a sad stick in the ground, but not for long. It is loaded with new growth. I cannot wait for the elegant deep purple blooms!

As I followed my nose around Lowe's one day I couldn't resist this lilac bush. I know nothing about growing lilac. But I am giving it a whirl. See the sunflower seedlings behind it? That's another experiment. I dug a 15 foot long narrow trough along the fence in our yard. After raising these seedlings from seeds I gathered from the sunflower circle I grew 3 years ago, I decided to try a long line of flowers. The fence should provide support.